Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) yesterday approved eight development projects worth Tk1,442.42 crore, including establishment of the 2nd campus of the Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University and Printing Industrial Park.
The approval came in the Ecnec meeting at the NEC conference room with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
Of the total project cost, over Tk953 crore will come from the public coffer, Tk25 crore from the project-related agencies own fund and Tk463.85 crore from development partners.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said Bangladesh University Grants Commission and Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University will implement the project by June 2019 at Pahartali of Chittagong and Hathazari of Cox’s Bazar at a cost of about Tk239 crore.
Under the project, two new faculties – faculty of agribusiness management, faculty of biotechnology, two new institutes – institute of coastal biodiversity, marine fisheries and wildlife conservation and institute of food safety and nutrition and four departments – Departments of Oceanography, Environmental Science, Biotechnology and Wildlife Conservation and Management would be set up.
Kamal said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting asked the authorities concerned to take initiatives for setting up a specialised university in Cox’s Bazar with an emphasis on research.
More than Tk140 crore project titled Establishment of BSCIC Printing Industrial Estate also got the Ecnec’s nod.
On this project, the minister said the country has 5,500 printing factories, 3,000 of which are in the capital.
“Around 70% factories in the city are built in an unplanned way, posing a threat to environment.”
As part of planning to make the Dhaka city free from environmental pollution, printing factories in Dhaka will be shifted to
Sirajdikhan upazila, Munshiganj, he added.
Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries will implement the project by 2018. Under the project, the park will have 385 plots and 380 industrial units, and employ 15,200 people, said Kamal.
The Ecnec also approved another project titled “Establishment of supervisory control and data acquisition system” with an involvement of Tk152.20 crore to ensure efficiency in electricity management at the zone under Desco.
Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited under the Power Division will implement the project
by June 2019 in Gazipur, Narayanganj, Dhaka Metropolitan City (North), Tongi and Purbachhal Model Town with support
from the Asian Development Bank.